Getting around during busy Lexington weekend
The weekend gets off to a start with closed roads Saturday morning (see below for the specific closings).
Thousands of runners, walkers, and ‘shufflers’ will take part in the annual Shamrock Shuffle 3K.
The roads will stay closed through the afternoon for Lexington’s annual Saint Patty’s Day Parade.
“It’s going to be a great time in downtown Lexington this weekend,” says Carl Hall, the Director of Rupp Arena Management. “With the Shamrock Shuffle in the morning, the parade tomorrow, it’s going to be a fun time downtown.”
If running and parades isn’t your thing, maybe the comic con is. Around 25,000 people are expected to attend this year’s Comic and Toy Convention at the Lexington Convention Center.
And there’s even more costumes, right next door at Rupp Arena. Disney on Ice’s Passport to Adventure will have six shows starting on Friday night and running through Sunday.
The Lexington Opera House will also play host to Broadway Live’s performance of The Great Gatsby this week.
With plenty to do and lots of people expected downtown, it’s good news for local businesses after a few rough weeks of winter.
“It’s a great weekend for business, I think despite the weather, it is always a fun weekend,” says Renee Jackson, the President of the Downtown Lexington Corporation. “Saint Patrick’s Day is really kicks [spring] off. People are itching to get outside, especially after the winter we’ve had.”
With all those events, all of those people and all of their cars downtown, parking is expected to be tight. But don’t let that scare you aware
“People always think that we have a parking problem,” Jackson says. “It is really just a perception. We do have a lot of available parking.”
Best advice is to plan ahead, come early and be patient.
“Parking will be a challenge, you have to plan for it, but just come early and it shouldn’t be any difficultly whatsoever,” Hall says.
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The Shamrock Shuffle 3K at 8 a.m. Saturday, March 14, will have the following impact on traffic in the downtown area:
- Mill Street will be closed from 7-9 a.m. from High Street to Main Street;
- South Upper Street will be closed at Main Street;
- East Vine Street will be be closed to Midland Avenue to Third Street to East Main Street to the intersection of West Main Street and South Upper Street from 7:30 to 9 a.m.
The St. Patrick’s Parade and Festival at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 14, will have the following impact on traffic in the downtown area:
- Midland Avenue will be closed between Third and Main streets from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.;
- Main Street will be closed between Midland and Mill streets from 1-2:30 p.m.;
- Short Street will be closed between Mill and Upper Street from 8 a.m.-9 p.m.;
- Upper Street will be closed between Main Street and Vine Street from 11 a.m.-11 p.m.
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